I'm feeling fat and sassy

Checkers Practice #5 5x500 at mile pace and 4x150m pick-up

Ran 4 with both doggies!  Ave pace: 8:04 pace

4 miles with doggies again.  Last run before my 1/2  Didn't wear a watch so I figured it was about 8:15 ish pace

Pre-race: One of the more competitive half-marathons in the area, it draws about 500 people and the winner is routinely around 70 minutes when the weather is good.  It's run on a super flat course out and back course (less than 100 feet elevation gain) but the island can be notoriously windy. I was feeling pretty good going into the race.  My training was going well especially with my new track club workouts but I haven’t raced in over a month so I was a little unsure of how I was going to do.  I decided to set a good goal of 1:25.  If I ran under 1:30 I would also meet the race’s ‘A’ standard and get a gold finisher medal (oh boy!). I’ve been having some issue with my stomach but it seemed ok that morning.

The first 5k (20:11, 6:28 pace): By the time the race went off at 11 it was steady winds, full sun (zero clouds) and unseasonable, for me, warm temps.  I love starts at longer races, way less jostling for position and sprinting.  Plus this is a more ‘serious’ race so people know how to act.  After about a mile, I got settled in the front of the chase pack of about 10 guys.  The lead pack had 8 people in it (including the woman’s winner) and they were off the front much faster.  I was feeling really good and took some water at mile 3 which made my stomach a little sloshy.

5k through 10k (20:36, 6:37 pace).  Started getting a little hot now and the wind was in my face which was enough to slow me down a little when it gusted.  Plus I was starting to feel all the little bumps and inclines.   Still felt good though and I was hoping that I could gain my time back once we hit the turn around.  I was planning on eating some chomps at mile 5-6 but my stomach wasn’t going to have it so I skipped.  I put some distance on the chase pack and started to catch some people blowing up from the lead pack.

10 though 15k (20:24, 6:33 pace).  Hit the turn-around at 43:08 and was happy to head home.  When I turned home I realized that while the wind was in your face going it was much much worse going back.  I ended up with a steady in your face head wind of over 10mph the whole way back.  Took some water at mile 8 and ended up catching someone from my age group who was seriously suffering.

15k-finish ( 25:52, 6:44 pace).  It blew up here.  My pace dropped and I was over heated and ready to be done.  Just did my best to keep trying to push it as best I could.  I did manage to catch another runner, my buddy Ray who got spit off from the front pack (he did manage to win his 45-49 age group). With a mile to go I did my best to push it in and not let anyone catch me.  Finished the last 0.1m strong and was happy to be done.

Finish:  I was completely gassed at the end. Probably the worse shape after a race in a long time. I also got a sunburn,ick!  I was having issue breathing and my chest was tight and I wanted to die.  After a few minutes I was up moving around and was feeling better.  Talked to Ray a little at the end and we both agreed it was a tough race.  The winner came in a relatively slow 1:19 and many people I ended up with big positive splits (bigger than my 1 minute) so I felt good that I could hold on as best I did. Many people that ran this race last year were a couple minutes slower this year as well and I beat some people who as of recently have been running better than me so that got me jazzed up .

I’d like to blame my lack of drinking (only hit 2 water stops) and not taking my gu as part of the reason for my missing my goal but that’d be disingenuous.  I doubt 100 calories and another 12 ounces of water would have saved me in a 90 minute race.  It was warm, very sunny and I was not acclimated that well to the conditions.  Plus I doubt my stomach would not have been happy about it. 

Got second in my age group and scored a sweet pint glass!  All in all not a bad day even though I really missed my goal and it kinda got my excited to race again.

 About a mile form the finish

7 real easy on the treadmill to see how I felt after my race.  Lets felt ok, pace 8:45 ish

3 easy on the treadmill at 9/min pace recovery.  Was gonna do 4 or 5 but my legs were not in great shap, esp my hip.  Cut it short

Checkers Practice #6 200,400,600,400,200,200 at mile pace

Opps, posted here instead of Monday. Move it to the correct spot!

After a complete waste of a week last week I'm starting this week on the right foot.  I was unmotivated during the week and the weekend was completely consumed by my and my sister's graduation.  But I guess that's ok since I should have been recovering from my half anyways.

 AM run:  7 miles at 7:30 pace from home to school to get my car.  My lower abdomen still has this weird diffuse pain that started like a month ago and running always hurts it.  Luckily I'm going to get it checked out with the doc at the beginning of June,  we'll have to see what it is.

Checkers Practice #7 4x400 x2 at mile pace

Tough track practice
2 mile warm up
4x400 at rep pace(<80sec) with 1 min rest. Then jog 10 min and repeat
2.3 mile cool down

Repeats were 79, 78, 76, 78, 80, 76, 76, 72!!

Feeling a lot stronger after 2 months of practice. Plus our group is very motivating so it makes hitting goals easier

6 mile base run at 7:44 pace.  felt good 

Failed tempo run. Originally had 3mile tempo with 5 min rest then 2 x 1600 tempo with 1 min rest but about 1.7 miles into the first tempo (6:15 Pace) was aborted.  I was having a heck of a time holding the pace and my stomach was up in my throat.  Could have been a combo of the heat (hottest of the year) and not enough time after dinner.  I got a little mixed up and was shooting for a pace about 6-7 secs/mile faster than my goal pace (6:17-6:25) but I dont think that would have tanked me so fast. Recovered about 3/4 of a mile and tried again and got about 0.7 miles (6:01 pace but slowing fast)  into it before same problems.  Called it a night and just finished up the 8 miles with base pace stuff.

I'll let this one go

AM:  7 easy miles before work. Ave pace 7:40.  Felt good 

PM: Checkers Practice #8 200, 2x600, 3x400 @ rep pace

7 easy miles @ 7:52.  It's hot out

Well the local marathon and half is Sunday and they really needed pacers so I volunteered I ended up taking the first half of the 3:30 Group (1:45 half). I was considering the 3:10 group but it's suppose to be über hot and I don't do that well in the heat so I didn't want to push it and risk messing up. It's my first time pacing so I hope I can hit 8 min miles on the nose for the runners. Should be fun, a free supported long run with a post race party and two free shirts!

So tonight I went out and did a practice 7 mile run holding the pace.  Managed to average +/- 5 seconds of 8:00 mile pace over the length of the run. I think I should be ok

Pacing the Buffalo Marathon!

TLDR: Well the local marathon and half  REALLY needed pacers so I volunteered I ended up taking the first half of the 3:30 Group (1:45 half) and I'm happy to report that my pacing duties went well. I hit the half right on the nose at 1:44:53.

Long story: I was a little late to the start, getting there about 20 minutes before the gun and I people starting to flock near me. Some nervous questions about even pacing and trading off to a different pacer at the half way point. Also got a couple suspicion looks (probably because I don't really look like I can run as well as I manage to).  And we were off.

The weather was suppose to be horrendous, 85 by 11am (race started at 7am) with full sun and humidity but it held out and was only 65 by the start and ever reached over 75.  The runners go SO lucky. 

Since the half and the full start and run the first half of the race together I had a very large group with me. My goal was to run even splits based on my chip time but because of the slow start and the crowded first and second water stop I was about 30 seconds slow overall at mile 3. I was totally not use to the crowds at the mid-pack.  It's tough pacing because if I was alone I'd drop that extra time in the next two miles but I couldn't here, if I did I would be destroying people and ruin races. I slower dropped the extra time over the next 7 and by mile 10 I was right on the nose. It was tough holding the pace at about 7:55-8:00. If I stopped paying attention or let it run down a hill I'd drop down to my regular 7:35 pace for a couple second before I caught myself.  Another thing I was ready for was that you can't totally rely on your GPS watch because you need to run based on the actual miles. Being in a kind of a crown I ended up running sloppy tangents threw my watches pass off by at least 5 seconds per mile. Something else I needed to account for when hitting the mile markers.

My little heart attack happened at the pacer exchange (20k mark), I also almost missed the second half pacer. We ran by the pick-up and I called out to the pacers but no one came. I started to get a little panicked but he saw me as the pack went by and luckily caught up.  I was contemplating in those seconds if I had it in me to do the full (I'd rather blow up than abandon them at half way).  I figure I could have done it but it would have been ugly do to my shorter training and the fact that my nutrition plan for the half was only a couple cups of water.  Luckily I didn't come to that.  As we approached the finish/full split I took my group to the finish and the rest of the pack continued on.

In the end it was totally fun and I'd love to do it again. It was great glancing over my shoulder and seeing a wave of people behind me. A lot of  people seemed very appreciative that I was there especially the newer runners which made me happy.  I got a bunch of thanks-yous from all different types of runners with different stories.  From the first timer to the guy that couldn't afford a GPS watch. Plus the best is that I have a nice race shirt with 'Pacer' across the shoulders, it looks pretty legit.

This was also my first year running the Buffalo Marathon and it was a very well run race with a nice course and great crowd support (including live bands).  The weather is always a little iffy at the end of May here but I'd totally consider racing it next year. 

Checkers Practice #9 4x1000 w/ 400 recovery and 1x500 @ int pace. End with strides

Had to do this by myself this week because I was busy at practice time

4 to 5 1000 with 400 recovery at interval pace (3:40 ish, 5:51/mile) and end with 4x100m strides

2 mile warm up to the track
Becasue of HS track practice I did 4x1000 and a shorter 500 to end it.
2 miles home

Interval times were 3:27 (WAY TOO FAST), 3:36, 3:43, 3:38, 1:49 (the 500).  Pretty tough esp after screwing the first one up and it was very hot and sunny out

Easy run around town.  Average Pace: 7:46